Why a Child Plays
by Rosa Cotton
Summary: Eowyn, Eomer, and Theodred enjoy playing in the snow with a friend.


Disclaimer: _The Lord of the Rings_, all characters, places, and related terms are the sole property of J.R.R. Tolkien's estate. The plot is mine.

Author's Note: The unofficial last installment in the "Why a Child…" series. This is simple fluff, PWP (plot, what plot?), and perhaps a bit corny in places. But I like it.

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Why a Child Plays

Eowyn ducks in the nick of time; the snowball sails just inches over her head. Peering over the wall of her snow fort, she tosses a snowball toward her brother and cousin. It falls short of their fort. She growls in frustration as the boys laugh.

"You should throw it with more force!" Eomer calls before hurling another snowball towards his sister at the same moment that Theodred does.

Eowyn jumps to the side, clearing the path of one, but the other smashes into the side of her head. She gives a shrill shriek as wet, cold snow runs down her face and under the collar of her coat. She glares at the triumphant boys before picking up a snowball from the pile she made and throws it with purposeful force and aim. This time she catches them unaware, and for a moment her cousin stares at the snowball plastered on the front of his wool shirt. He glares at his cousins' amusement; Eomer laughs while Eowyn claps her hands in delight at her successful hit. She is amazed, however, when a moment later a snowball hits the side of Eomer's head, and he cries out, "No fair!"

She ducks as the boys prepare another attack and looks to her left to discover who has joined her side in the snowball fight. She clamps a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles as Thorongil conceals his large frame as best he can behind her fort wall. His eyes are full of amusement and excitement; he looks almost boyish. A devilish grin on his face, he winks at Eowyn and holds out his hand in a silent request for another snowball. Shaking with quiet giggles, the girl gives him one.

She watches him peer over the wall to have a snowball hit him in the eyes. Despite his sudden blindness, Thorongil hurls the snowball in his hand and hits Theodred who was watching in fascination and did not move in time. Wiping the snow from his eyes with a deep laugh, Thorongil rises to his feet.

"Surrender your fort, sirs!" he demands, fighting to keep a straight face.

"We shall fight to the death!" Eomer replies proudly.

Hardly have the words died away when both sides issue war cries and fall into the assault with new energy. The air becomes full of sailing snowballs and shouting and laughing.

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Eowyn rolls the large ball of snow with some difficultly. Halting with the ball next to two larger ones stacked on top of each other, she allows Thorongil to carefully place it on top of the balls of snow. The two stand side by side, carefully inspecting their work. Thorongil gazes down at the child and cocks one brow in question. After gazing seriously at the stacked snowballs, Eowyn looks up at him and nods in approval.

The man uses rocks to make a broad smile and eyes on the top ball of snow, while the girl uses some for buttons on the front of the snowman. He receives sticks for arms. Thorongil's scarf is placed around the snowman's neck to keep him warm. The final touch is done when Eowyn, lifted up by Thorongil, sticks the carrot she stole from the kitchens between the snowman's mouth and eyes. Both survey their work

Eomer and Theodred pause in their game of tag and also examine the smiling man made of snow.

"It would be perfect if he had a helmet and a sword," Eomer says, smirking a little.

Overhearing his comment, Eowyn turns toward him, but any argument between the siblings is prevented by the arrival of Iris and Thorongil laying a hand on Eowyn's shoulder. The man and children watch as the woman catches her breath, gives them all a curtsy and says:

"You have been playing out all afternoon. It is time to come inside and warm yourselves up. Cook has some hot cocoa for you."

The children jump with excitement and rush to the Golden Hall; Eowyn and Eomer drag Thorongil by the hands with them. Iris trails behind, wringing her hands.

"And then we can play hide and seek!" Theodred exclaims, glancing over his shoulder to his cousins and Lord Thorongil. "And Thorongil can be 'It'!"

The younger two readily agree, and the man only smiles broadly and laughs.

THE END

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A/N: For those of you who have either forgotten or never knew, Thorongil is the name Aragorn had when he stayed in Rohan and Gondor for a time many years before the War of the Ring. According to the timeline in the Appendix, Aragorn served in Rohan and Gondor quite a number of years before Eowyn's birth; I think however there was a slight possibility he may have visited Rohan and met young Eowyn. 


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